Heartless Lyn @ Great Imaginations

(I am so, so late with this...)

Summary

In the summer, I turn into a very boring person.  I am thankful that the weather is acting all weird-like and everything.  I haven’t had to battle many 100 + degree days this year.  The rain is awesome as well.

Right now, it is a celebration of inside activities.  Besides  the gym, I participating in a social painting activity, and I love it!

Life-wise, I am still traveling down the road of recovery. 

On My Bookshelf

I read 8 books this month which brings my total to 43 for 2014:

• Salt & Storm: 3 stars
• The Fire Wish: 2 stars
• We Were Liars: 5 stars
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Ultimate Collection, Vol. 1: 3 stars
• Vampire Academy: 3 stars
• Lies We Tell Ourselves: 5 stars
• Gates of Thread and Stone: 4 stars
• Jellicoe Road: 4 stars

I DNF 0 books in May:

Average rating for June: 3.7

Average rating for 2014: 3.5

Favorite Book in June: Lies We Tell Ourselves by Robin Talley

Pages Read in May: 2,721

Pages read in 2014: 14,971

On My Other Shelf:

TV:

Sailor Moon Crystal

House, MD (rewatching)

Breaking Bad (finished)

Movies:

Ever After

That Thing You Do

Empire Records

This book was okay.  The book felt like it was leading me on, and some of the characters failed to hit the mark with me, but the ending was exciting, and there were characters I did love.  More than likely, I will pick up the next story, but my expectations are set pretty low.

The Westing Game runs in the same pack as other one-of-us murder mysteries.  Thanks to the kid-friendly approach, this book centers around character interaction and dynamics. For murder-mystery fans, this lighthearted approach to the genre is a nice story to add to your collection.

Despite some huge issues, there were many wonderful things about the end of this trilogy. It breaks me apart to say goodbye to some of these characters, and the bittersweet flavor fit the series well.  I believe that all Dust Land lovers will find the perfect closure. I’m stalking you, Moira Young! I’m looking forward to your next adventure!

 I thought this book was amazing. The fact that I am an older sister helped quite a bit. This one spoke right to my Big Sis mentality.

Beautiful writing, warped reality, but the mystery took SO LONG to resolve.

Overall, I was enchanted by Yolen’s flowing and charming writing, but some of the elements seemed forced and cobbled.  Just like an old Disney film, some of the devices felt contractual and obligated instead of welcomed. However, it is a wonderful book for those who want a little bit of Disney and Grim mixed together.

Passive main character.  The writing was pretty, and I liked the story, but it felt really…..safe? It was a sweet story but it had no teeth.

Summary

June came and went in a flash.  It was my birthday on the 6^th, so I have even more books, more totes, and spoiled myself with cupcakes and fine dining.  I celebrate my birthday all month long, and the first of July brings the end of my celebrating.  Boo.

My kind, sweet sister is a blessing, and she gave me one of the best presents, ever:

Yep. Rainbow roses.  I’ve wanted a collection ever since I saw them, and I even added it to my bucket list. She was a bit stunned at my reaction. A month later, they are currently drying, and I have a project in mind, so that I can enjoy them forever.

The new job is going well. I finally have some confidence and my management seems very happy with my performance.  One of my supervisors told me that I can never leave the company, and that I had to work with them forever. There are three things that I use as benchmarks in my life, and doing well at my job is one of them.  I’m finally on stable ground again.  I wake up every day without the fear and stress of constant failure. I needed this, and getting out of a job I loathed is making a positive impact on my everyday life.

The gym is going well.  While I was in New York, I dropped a size in pants, and I have kept it off.  I wore a shirt to work on Friday that had been a bit snug in the past, and it looked good on me. Someone took the time to tell me that they have noticed a drop in my weight.

Finally, things are smoother. I am reading more, I talk to people online, I loved BEA, I gained more control over my finances, and I am enjoying the gym. I hope this trend continues for the rest of the year. I am ready for my brighter days now.

Reading

I read 7 books this month which brings my total to 35 for 2014:

• Raging Star: 3.5 stars
• Imaginary Girls: 4 stars
• All Four Stars: 4 stars
• Belzhar: 4 stars
• The Art of Hearing Heartbeats: 3 stars
• Ruin and Rising: 4.5 stars
• A Thousand Words: 3 stars

I DNF 1 books in May:

• Talon

Average rating for June: 3.7

Average rating for 2014: 3.5

Favorite Book in June: Ruin and Rising by Leigh Bardugo

Pages Read in May: 2,336

Pages read in 2014: 12,250

Television and Movies

Theatre Releases: 

• How to Train Your Dragon 2

TV Shows:

• Breaking Bad
• Sailor Moon (2013 Sub)
• Orange in the New Black Season 2

I've been avoiding this site, mostly because I just can't figure it out anymore.  I also wish to add that I will no longer be posting full reviews here, but I will add in my concluding thoughts and a link to my review on my blog.

I also forgot to post my June Year in Review post.  So I have some work to do.

The art is cute and there are some shining moments in the novel.  If you’re looking for some pro-girl fiction, I would recommend this one. It does have its charms, and it raises some questions about modern dating habits and how social media (in this case, text messages) has changed the field.

Overall, it was an interesting way to approach the subject of teacher-student bullying and child abuse, but the story could have attempted to dig deeper.  

I didn’t think it was bad. In fact, I loved the ending, and Frances was a character I ended up loving, but I was just too weighed down with the overall sad tone, and the detached writing. I never knew what the main character was really feeling. And there was a LOT of emotions in this book. Like, Emotion Titanic levels.

This was very enjoyable, and anyone looking for realistic fantasy should invest in this one.  The author reaches out to her audience with characters who could relate to a wide range of personality types. This novel is ideal for history buffs and readers looking for something new in the paranormal department.

Well done and authentic with real emotions and problems, Thorn is a refreshing twisted fairy tell with a perfect balance of dark and light elements.

Summary

May has come and gone, and I feel like I blinked and missed it.  Training and adapting to my new job has kept me very busy, and by the time this has posted, I’ll return from New York after attending BEA.

I’ve also returned to the gym after a year hiatus.  I LOVE it. I have missed my work outs, and I hope to see some results soon. 

Mother's Day was wonderful this year. Long story short, I sent my mother flowers from Abe Lincoln when the card rearranged my quote on her card when I sent off the order.

There isn’t too much to tell, I can’t believe that I felt so busy yet have so little to say! Oh, I did fall down into the creek when I was watching it overflow.

I do have a lovely picture to show off, since the weather is crazy, with rain and thunderstorms and daily terror from tornadoes:

Reading

I read 6 books this month which brings my total to 28 for 2014:

• Dare Me by Megan Abbott
• The Dreamer by Pam Munoz Ryan
• Shadows on the Moon by Zoe Marriott
• Steelheart by Brandon Sanderson
• The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin
• Snow in Summer by Jane Yolen

I DNF 1 books in May:

• Chasing Shadows by Swati Avasthi

Average rating for May: 3.2

Average rating for 2014: 3.5

Favorite Book in May: Shadows on the Moon Zoe Marriott

Pages Read in May: 2,012

Pages read in 2014: 9914

Television and Movies

Theatre Releases: 1

• Godzilla

Rentals:  0

Rewatched:  1

• Fantasia 2000
• Daria

Started: 2

• Breaking Bad
• Redubbed Sailor Moon (Hulu)

Bought: 1

• Most Extreme Elimination Challenge Season 1

Summary

April went by in a flash! It helps when the month is filled with an abundance of positive vibes. It was also a good month for growth and rebirth, so the speak.

First off, I landed a NEW JOB at the end of the month. Leaving my last employer did not go overly very well, but the payoff was worth it. I have a job with better benefits, stock option, a higher pay increase, better opportunities, and a nice 401 match. It was no contest. My last boss did not take very kindly to my resignation, since I was breaking contract, but I was at the end of my rope, and the staff was not providing the support I needed for certain tasks they decided to stick to me because it was convenient for them to do so. So I felt highly motivated and justified for my departure. I feel that I am finally on a better path. It isn't EXACTLY using my degree, but some of my classes did help my resume look nice for the position. 

To celebrate the end to the reign of terror, I traveled with my sister up north for a great girl's day out, filled with animals, waterfalls and hilarious terrors of a drive-thru safari. It was a good day. My baby sister also turned 30, so the end of the month was a full-blown dessert blow out.  I'm also in the middle of family drama, which entails social media and the lack of owning up to previous bitter words. I also returned to the gym, and it feels GOOD.